1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lap counter, and more particularly, to a lap counting system having a radio communication range between a radio transmitter and a radio receiver which increments a lap count each time the distance between the receiver and the transmitter becomes smaller than the communication range.
2. Background and Related Art
In certain sporting events, such as swimming and track, athletes traverse the same course multiple times during a single workout. As a result, these athletes must maintain a count of the number of laps completed. Mentally maintaining this lap count is burdensome in that the athlete may lose track of the number of laps or may, for psychological reasons, not want to count each grueling lap. These athletes have thus expressed an interest in a lap counting device which would maintain an accurate lap count during their workouts.
The lap counting device should be foremost reliable, inexpensive, and easy to use. It should also be portable and lightweight so that the athletes can easily carry it to the pool or track, and it should be compact for easy storage.
Various lap counting systems have been developed. However, none of these systems satisfy all of the above mentioned attributes. For example, some lap counting systems employ ultrasonic transducers to detect the athlete on each lap. These systems have serious drawbacks in that they cannot discriminate between different athletes, for example, between different swimmers swimming in the same lane, or between different runners on the same track. Furthermore, because ultrasonic systems are directional and line-of-sight, ultrasonic systems must be mounted in a special manner along the pool or track.
Other lap counting systems employ infrared transducers. These systems have serious drawbacks similar to those of the ultrasonic systems. In addition, because the athlete must wear either an infrared transmitter or a receiver, the athlete must consciously directionally orient the unit he/she wears toward the stationary unit to trigger a counting of each lap.
Some lap counting systems, designed specially for swimmers, require the swimmer to touch a pad to effectuate a count. These lap counting systems have several serious drawbacks: the pads are difficult to mount to the side of the pool, the pads are easily dislodged, the pads are expensive, the pads may be touched by other swimmers which disrupts an accurate count for the desired swimmer, physical switches within the pad are unreliable, and swimmers must locate and touch the pads each lap.